Chunkfs
Chunkfs is a new file system architecture that divides file systems up
into chunks that are invidually and incrementally checked and
repaired, with only occasional references to metadata in other chunks.
Chunkfs is one example of repair-driven
file system design, the idea that file systems should be designed
from the ground up to be not only fast and efficient during "normal"
operation, but also during file system check and repair.
The best reference for chunkfs is currently a short (6 page) paper we presented
at the 2006 Hot
Topics in Dependability workshop.
Some older and out-of-date references are Arjan van de Ven's short and sweet text
description, and some mention in the report on the 2006 Linux File Systems
workshop.
The most recent chunkfs
presentation was at LCA 2008. Link to video coming soon.
Prototype
I've written a very quick and dirty
prototype of chunkfs as a layered file system.